Thursday, December 29, 2011

It has been almost a year since I started this website! Where as the time gone and so forth with that cliche. I think I would review something special. So I've decided to review the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection and it will be out on January 25, 2012. I will also change the picture of the game on the TV screen at the top to I don't know yet. Cya.

The Uncharted franchise has been a revolution in modern video games by developer Naughty Dog who took a another dive in making the 'Indiana Jones' of video games. After well Indiana Jones video games and Tomb Raider games, this is a game series that as never failed to impress, Uncharted is a game that seems to delve in to some Uncharted territory. Maybe not so Uncharted territory, but definitely took a same yet different path as an Archeology-ish Action Adventure Game. Uncharted will stand the test of time because of its many achievements and of course memorable gameplay.

When Uncharted 2 came out it ended up as the game of the year. Did Naughty Dog's third attempt beat or at least bear the same weight as the preceding game? Looking over Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, in terms of its overall gameplay, narrative, and visuals should give a better understanding as to say how this one compares to Uncharted 2 or if it is a good deal for your money which is honestly what I look for.

It Belongs in a Museum!

Uncharted 3 continues 2 years after the previous game, staring Nathan Drake who goes on a quest that surrounds his "relative" Sir Frances Drake. Playing the game will let you know why I put that in quotations. Anyway, him and Victor Sullivan (Sully) go on an adventure solving puzzles, picking up artifacts,and searching for a lost city of Ubar, aka Atlantis of the Sands. It seems that there is some actuality to this place because there is a lost city that as been given that same name that was said to be destroyed by an "Act of God".

It is also apparent that a rival, in all stories like this, is after the same city, but for a different reason and one we find out much later. Her name is Katherine Marlow, she has endless amounts of money, henchmen and all other villainous resources to give the player a challenge. So really nothing too surprising there. We Ride!

Tomb raiders or preservers?

That's a little hard to say, first Nathan and Sully want the "unmeasurable wealth" that is said to be in the city and then they want to save the world and destroy it. I guess it is a tomb raid after all.

Uncharted 3 keeps a same formula of gameplay setup the game has a number of large climbing obstacles, unique puzzles, and of course the hand to hand and gun combat. The new melee system is fun, effective, but dangerous. I mean it's so fun to just run out in big battle a smack the crap out of guys and it is easy to get a little carried away and well lets say don't bring fists to a gun fight unless you are Indiana Jones with some loud punching sounds. Melee combat is fun, fresh, and very well polished.

Oh What a Wonderful World

Are there talks of an Uncharted movie? Please no! A game like this continues to show that a movie can not match the likes of a game such as this one. The game world seems just as large as the real world. It is very easy to get lost all around there. That is until Uncharted 3's movie-like cut scenes take a smooth turn away from the large world. These qualities of Uncharted and any other game like it to expected and least surpassed in one way or another.

Unfortunately Uncharted does not really up the ante of visuals since Uncharted 2. Naughty Dog took what was expected and just ran with it and did little to surpass it or go above and beyond to further present a shock awe affect as it should have done.

Too Many Already?

As the game begins it tries to make the gameplay seem up and over way more than visuals. Each new emphasis on climbing, fighting, and solving comes to a more a more slow and boring pace as the game progresses leaving sometimes in question "What was the point of that?" Each gameplay element is fun and interesting, but why no real explanation for it.

Much like Modern Warfare 3's campaign, each moment of intensity is almost too fake to stand, but for a game like this, each destructive moment is more and more fun which is a huge plus to any Action Gamer with a PS3.

Another quick part to discuss is the use of supernatural elements and it is not really supernatural like in the previous 2 games, with the weird Nazi Hulks there, and Yetis here, and the Evil Avatar looking guys around there. Its just drugs! I mean the only bit of supernatural is in the water supply of Ubar. Some genies were cast to the bottom of the lake where the water is from and now the water has some crazy shroom mix in it. Which the hallucination scenes are a trippy good change of pace just to mess with ta! Fun!

I Will Get By Without a Little Help from my Friends...

Multiplayer, yeah they still have it and they just had to improve it. Lets face it, mulitplayer in these games are just a gimmicky tack to try and extend the play life of the game. You don't need it! The game would have been much better without it. Naughty Dog should have made this story longer so when you play it again it well be fun a long while.

Don't get me wrong it's fun and I loved the beta, but it is not a game to play online nearly as long as Call of Duty or Battlefield. It gets boring fast the single play experience far out weighs the multiplayer experience and that is a reason why it gets boring.

Uncharted 2 had multiplayer to save for a quick time kill and maybe the story was better than this one because of the very light blink of focus on multipayer and bloodshot stare on single player.

The End... Or is it?

It is the last one? Probably not, but we do know for sure that this game is not as good as number 2, but better than first. This game lives a step back from the Uncharted 2. Was it too soon to see Drake again or just too frequent? Think of finding the best one is still like finding the Lost City of Atlantis. Isn't better to have us not find it and still think about its wonders rather than to find it and forget about it, only time will tell.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

With the Spike TV VGA only game load away (see what I did, I made a video game reference to the VGA HA!) I thought I might take some time as to make some predictions as to who will win what on Saturday December 10. Lets press START (haHA!):

Studio of the Year:
I believe that VALVe will win. It seems that each game studio nominated, put out some very solid games this year, but Valve always had their secrecy and surprises much like Kojima Productions. When I saw them at the Sony conference at E3 I knew that they were gearing up for something great. The Delver both great games and a great studio that makes them.

Best Xbox 360 Game:
I have to go with Gears of War 3, because the love that people have for this franchise and the fact that it has ended well is sad and really it deserves to go out with a bang. Lets face Arkam City is too good to win best Xbox 360 game it is a little unfair. Gears 3 is a beloved game and it needs to win as best Xbox game.

Best PS3 Game:
Should I even say it? Little Big Planet 2, because it is for everyone. No matter who you are you can play it and love it. It fits so perfectly in any category, but it will win best PS3 game.

Best Wii Game:
The Legened of Zelda: Skyward Sword, it is a classic and has no way of slowing down. Lets face it how could it not be the best Wii game of this year? I hear people comparing it to Skyrim! It's better it is worse, but it is a great contender for Game of the Year, and I know it will be the best Wii game.

Best PC Game:
Now this one is the hardest. BF3, Mincraft, The Witcher 2, and Portal 2? What to choose. Portal 2 beating the Witcher 2 by a slim disk. For this game's pick up and playablity and friendly gun gameplay for anyone. Portal became an instant classic for the masses. So it will win best PC game.

Best Handheld/Moble Game:
Super Mario 3D Land ok? Lets face it, THAT GAME IS FREAKIN AWESOME! It is Super Mario with awesome 3D tech to view it in and it has the Raccoon Tail back for Super Mario Bros 3 (which is the best game ever!) and its 3D! again... Come on it will win best handheld game.

Best Shooter:
I would consider it all around best shooter that is Battlefield 3. With a new game engine, great graphics, and all around more realistic gameplay, BF3 has it all for a amazing shooter. It will win best shooter no doubt.

Best Action Adventure Game:
Goes to Assassin's Creed: Revelations. Another great story comes to an end as Ezio makes his last kills. This game is fun and very open it is a wonderful end to a great story arch and it should win this.

Best RPG:
This is really another hard one. I'm gonna go with Deus Ex Human Revolution. Not because the other games are not as good it's because Deus is more easy to pick up and play unlike the rest. So it will win because of gamer compatibility.

Best Multi-Player Game:
MW3 and I know it has some problems, but there are fixes coming soon. Lets face it Activision is right about their own game. It is very easy to play, but incredibly hard to master. It has always been like that and will continue that way. That is good thing and a good reason for it to win best Multi-Player game. Plus the amount of players shows how popular it is.

I am skipping both Sport games categories, because Sport games are way more casual than the rest of these kinds of games. Plus I don't play Sport games at all.

Best Driving Game:
When it comes to graphics and functionality Forza 4 can't be beat. Honestly is that what a great racing game is all about? Yes it is when you want to drive a car you can never buy.

Best Fighting Game:
Is it a secret tournament? No it's MORTAL KOMBAT! to win best fighting game. Marvel vs. Capcom never left its roots neither did the others, but Mortal Kombat returned to its past arcade glory and does not fail to impress and it will win.

Best Motion Game:
Lets just ask what is most gimmicky game is. Be serous, all I think is that Skyward Sword should not win because it is not a gimmick.

Best Indie Game:
Minecraft DUH!! Just ask anyone why.

Best Adapted Video Game:
Batman: Arkham City is my choice because when Rocksteady made Arkam Asylum it is met allot of unprecedented success. Arkham City just blew that game away. The best adapted video game ever! Aside from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, but that's from the PS2.

The Music awards for games is not fair to predict. I have not and don't want to listen to music in games I have not played.

Best Graphics:
L.A. Noire. It needs to get at least one award. This is the only category that has this game. I know! It's BS! It has the best graphics too.

Best Performance By a Human:Male: J.K. Simmons as Cave Johnson. Just listen to the Life and Lemons speech he gives.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Well this month is kinda light on releases and none of the games are even remotely enticing enough to review so I will just review the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection and Uncharted 3 (games Im getting for X-mas).

January... IS EVEN LESS?!?!?!? ok so I don't want to play Soulcalibur or what ever FFXIII-2 is about. Is that a '2'? ok... Hmm, Neverdead comes out. I will think of something. I know that when I become a real game journalist, I won't have the liberty to choose so I am taking advantange of that for now.